Frog in water

Why Did the Amphibian Cross the Road?

Why are frogs so much more at risk of getting hit by cars in the spring time? It has to do with breeding, timing, and water.
Illustration of Flannery O'Connor

Flannery O’Connor’s Moments of Grace

Flannery O'Connor employed grotesqueness and violence in her stories to illustrate the workings of grace on her characters.
JSTOR Daily Friday Reads

Kathleen Rooney’s Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

Move over flâneur, here comes the flâneuse, the female version of the famous French walkers.
Houdini poster

The Man Who Pulled the First Houdini

Harry Houdini wasn't always famous for his daring escapes. A look at how the humble Hungarian immigrant became the world's most famous magician.
Preet and Dalya Bharara

U.S. Attorneys and the Struggle for Justice

The U.S. Constitution’s system of checks and balances have made the judiciary President Trump’s key foe in his first 100 days. ...
Ada Yonath

Six Women in Science You Should Know

Six female scientists—historical and contemporary—who don’t have much name recognition but who have done important, interesting work.
Quebecois flag

The Recipe for Secession: What Makes Nations Leave

Secession doesn't come from one event, but is borne of economic disparities, identity crises, legislative failure, and bad blood.
DNA genetic analysis results

A New Kind of DNA Evidence

Should familial DNA be used in forensic investigations? How it works -- and some of the potential problems with the practice.
Gypsum crystals of the Naica cave.

Exploring Mexico’s Otherworldly Cave of Crystals

The Cave of Crystals is a massive cavern, filled with gigantic gypsum crystals, larger than any crystals ever before seen on Earth.
Liberian flag

Liberia: A Primer

Liberia, named for liberty in 1824, has had a rough go of it since being colonized by African-Americans settled there by the American Colonization Society.